NASCAR is just a week away from making ground-breaking history. For the first time since 1958, NASCAR will take its point-paying race outside the regional border to Mexico City. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a sight that is known to host F1 races, will experience the roar of NASCAR V8 cars. While NASCAR is known for its swift logistics racing from different coasts to regions, a trip down south is a massive undertaking.

The Cup Series haulers are expected to travel 1700 miles and 72 hours after they wrap up the race at Michigan International Speedway. But given that this is an international race, law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border need to give NASCAR go go-ahead. The Cup Series teams are under preparation as we speak and might have already loaded their cars for the Mexico race, along with other equipment. However, this long ride being an international transit, border security forces and agencies on both sides have drawn a plan for this convoy to pass through to the border.

There were speculations that the inspection of the Cup haulers would be done in Michigan itself. But NASCAR’s Tom Bryant laid out the procedure that will clear out the haulers, traveling to Mexico City. Speaking on Hauler Talk, he explained, “Originally, we had planned to seal the haulers in Michigan. Now they’ve asked us not to seal them. Instead, what’ll happen is, when we get to the border, every truck will drive through a big X-ray machine. As long as there is not any anomaly spotted, they will keep rolling. There’ll be a number of trucks that will just be randomly inspected, called a secondary inspection. I’m confident with the work we’ve done ahead of time with the border patrol authorities on both sides of the border. That we’re going to be able to get our convoy soon in a relatively short amount of time.”

Tom Bryant, an Army Ranger turned logistics specialist, has been overseeing these preparations for a year now. Bryant explained that NASCAR enlisted Rock-It Cargo, an international logistics company that oversaw Taylor Swift’s recent Eras Tour concert in Mexico City. They have the experience of handling up to 200 haulers at a time. They have worked with Formula 1 and are going to lead the operations for next year’s World Cup event. So, under his watchful eyes, the plan is already in motion. But according to Bryant, the journey back home is going to be a little easier.

“I think it’s going to be a little easier because one we’ve already done it right? Coming back, as long as we are taking out what we brought in, that’s what they are checking for, to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind. So it should be a little easier. As we leave Mexico City, we gotta go to Pocono, which is on the other side of the radar across the border,” Bryant added.

However, there’s one thing that could derail this entire operation and logistics, and that is the almighty weather. And even Bryant painted the picture of how crucial the weather at Michigan and Mexico City could dictate NASCAR’s next few weeks of racing.

Rains once again could play spoilsport in NASCAR’s ambitious plans

There is no wiggle room as far as timing is concerned for when NASCAR Cup Series haulers embark on their journey from Michigan International Speedway. They have to reach Laredo and get the customs checks by Tuesday to be able to reach Mexico City by Thursday morning. However, if the weather impedes racing on Sunday, that could offset all the planning that has been done beforehand.

“Also, we’re really praying for really good weather in Michigan. That’s critical for us, and I kinda say it half-jokingly, but there’s just not a lot of extra time… Literally every hour from Sunday morning until about noon Tuesday is planned, and there are events tied to it, and by gosh, it better happen on time,” Bryant stated.

Not to forget, they’ve got to make a trip back to Pocono Raceway, which means any delay in Mexico could also alter the plans for the next race weekend. A lot of parts and pieces have gone into pulling off this massive project, and hopefully, the weather gods are in favor of NASCAR for once.